With Christmas and Hanukkah falling on the same day this year, you’re probably struggling with deciding what wine to gift to those special wino’s in your life. Well, today I’m going to suggest a few options for your consideration that would excite my palate were I to be the recipient of such vinous largesse.

The holiday season, which now begins right around Thanksgiving and will continue through New Year’s Eve, is a time when you will spend about seventy percent of your yearly wine budget purchasing bottles for gifts, parties, and holiday dinners. Here are some bottles that should please the palate of just about every serious sipper. Let’s begin with pinot noir – a very versatile wine that pairs  well with a variety of foods like beef, chicken and even salmon.

2021 Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir ($90) – I have collected wines from this Oregon producer since their first vintage in 1990, and this Evenstadt is among the best they’ve ever produced. Full of earthy, dark cherry flavors with a hint spice and oak, this pinot noir is both silky and deep.

The quality of Italian wine is sometimes surprising to wine lovers who are mainly accustomed to drinking full-bodied red wines from California. While many Italian reds can match the intensity of the best Napa Valley cabernets, wines from Italy’s “boot full of wine” can offer more balanced and nuanced bottles. One of the best wines in the world is Brunello di Montalcino made from sangiovese and produced in Tuscany. Here is one of my all-time favorites.

2018 Castello Banfi Poggio alle Mura Brunello di Montalcino Riserva ($95) – With aromas of spice and sage, this wine is pure silk exhibiting medium-bodied intensity along with round, rich flavors of ripe cherries. The wine would be a lovely accompaniment to a New Year’s day celebratory meal of roasted rack of pork.

I’m always on the lookout for California reds that exhibit both power and finesse. That generally leads me to wines that are blends, and one of my favorites is a wine called Cyrus. This eminently approachable wine would make a great holiday gift for someone special in your life.

2021 Alexander Valley Vineyards Cyrus ($75) – This Sonoma County wine is named for the founder of Alexander Valley Vineyards, Cyrus Alexander. It’s a full-bodied, yet supple, blend of cabernet sauvignon 54%, cabernet franc 27%, merlot 17%, and 1% each of malbec and petit verdot. The wine has great structure and balance with flavors of blackberries, mocha and spice. Decant the wine for at least one hour and then pair it with any roasted meat like prime rib or pork tenderloin.

If you thought I was only a fan of red wine, you would be mistaken. I love white wine and especially chardonnay in all of its various iterations – from simple and unoaked to full bodied and buttery. The wine I’m recommending for your holiday gift giving today is on the full-bodied end of the spectrum, but it also has complimentary and balancing acidity.

2022 Keller Estate La Cruz Vineyard Chardonnay (Petaluma Gap) ($55) – With a nose of tropical fruit and spice, this delicious mouthful of wine is highlighted by flavors of ripe peaches and vanilla crème brulle. The richness of the wine is balanced by ample acidity. This chardonnay begs to be paired with broiled lobster on the half shell drizzled with drawn butter.

Since no holiday celebration is complete without sparkling wine, I suggest you go out and buy yourself a nice bottle of Champagne. You deserve it for all your thoughtful and heartfelt gifts to friends and loved ones. In fact, I’m going to treat myself to  a bottle of Perrier-Jouet Blason Rose’ ($70),
and my first toast will be to you

Happy Holidays!

John Brown is also a novelist. His latest book in the Augie Trilogy – Augie’s Wine – has just been released and is now available. His first two books– Augie’s War and Augie’s World – are also available online and in bookstores around the state. You can find out more about his novels, and review all of his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com

In just a few weeks, we’ll all be sitting down to stuff ourselves at Thanksgiving dinner. That’s my favorite holiday of the year because it’s a wine lover’s dream come true. At the center of the meal is turkey which lends itself to any number of cooking methods from the traditional oven baked bird, to ones grilled over charcoal, and to others that are deep fried or smoked. And that’s just the turkey! When you surround the “national bird” with the various delectable courses and side dishes that traditionally accompany the meal, Thanksgiving is a culinary extravaganza where there are almost limitless wine pairing possibilities.

If you’re a white wine lover, pair your oven basted bird with sauvignon blanc, a buttery chardonnay or a riesling from Alsace. If you’re grilling or smoking the critter, then go ahead and open a big red zinfandel, syrah or even cabernet sauvignon with the meal. Or if you want a red wine that pairs nicely with any of the above-mentioned cooking methods, try a pinot noir from Oregon or even a Beaujolais – that sometimes overlooked wine made from the gamay grape grown and produced in France.

When most Americans think of Beaujolais, we think of Beaujolais Nouveau. In fact, you’ll be able to purchase a bottle of the 2024 Nouveau in about a week. That’s because Beaujolais Nouveau is released with great fanfare each year around the middle of November. It is
a fun wine full of fresh strawberry flavors, and it’s only about two months old when it’s made available. However, Nouveau is more a celebration of the new vintage year than an exercise in fine wine drinking, and it is meant to be drunk within a year of bottling.

But there’s more to Beaujolais than Nouveau!

Today we’ll explore the other wines of Beaujolais, all made from the gamay grape, which are far superior to Nouveau. Beaujolais is a region just south of the Macon appellation in Burgundy. Beaujolais extends south for about 35 miles, and it ends near the famous Rhone wine region of Cote Rotie. The French government categorizes the labelling of the region’s wines as Beaujolais, Beaujolais Superior or Beaujolais Villages and these can be decent to very good wines that can actually improve with bottle age for up to ten years. They’re also bargains, selling in the $15 to $25 a bottle range.

The best wines of the Beaujolais region, though, are known as Cru (which means “growths” in French). Crus are named after the villages around which the grapes are grown. There are ten Cru Beaujolais wines: Brouilly, Chenas, Chiroubles, Cote de Brouilly, Fleurie, Julienas, Morgon, Moulin-a-Vent, Regnie and Saint Amour. Each of these Crus produces distinctly different Beaujolais from very light and delicate (i.e., Chiroubles and Fleurie) to fuller-bodied wines (i.e., Moulin a Vent and Morgon). You may see a wine labeled Morgon (the name of a Cru village) in large type with the year and producer (i.e., “Georges Duboeuf”) in smaller type.

Just like in Burgundy, it is very important to select your Beaujolais from reputable producers and shippers. Among the most prominent of these are: Joseph Drouhin, Georges Duboeuf, Louis Jadot, Louis Latour, Prosper Maufoux and Bouchard Pere et Fils. But unlike Burgundy, Cru Beaujolais is more affordable (usually priced in the $25-$50 a bottle range).

Beaujolais Villages wines are very similar in weight and texture to light and medium-bodied pinot noir and can be paired well with less intense foods like cheese, chicken or veal. Crus Beaujolais are more flavorful and make exceptional accompaniments to dishes such as roasted pork tenderloin, grilled chicken or salmon, and, yes, even Thanksgiving turkey.

John Brown is also a novelist. His two books – Augie’s War and Augie’s World – are available online and in bookstores around the state. The third book in the Augie Trilogy- Augie’s Wine – will be released later this year. You can find out more about his novels, and review all of his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com

As a descendant of Italian immigrants, I’m grateful for and proud of my heritage, and for our government’s recognition of Italian Americans by establishing Columbus Day. On Monday, I plan to cook up something Italian, and pair the dish with vino from the country that has been called: “a boot full of wine.”

Alas, what has been celebrated as Columbus Day since 1792 is now officially known as Indigenous Peoples Day. With all due respect to the folks who existed in North America before Christopher Columbus was credited with discovering our continent, I’m still observing the former holiday.

To be perfectly honest, Columbus was directionally challenged. He left Italy on a trade mission to the orient, but he sailed west instead of east, and ended up discovering North…. AMERICA. But I’m thankful for his navigational mistake. In honor of that fortuitous error, I’m providing you with a recipe for a special cavatappi pasta casserole, and recommending two wines that pair seamlessly with the dish.

And since cavatappi is shaped like a corkscrew, I could think of no more appropriate pasta type than one which is screwy – kind of like Christopher Columbus. 

Columbus Wrong Way Pasta

Ingredients:
One pound of cavatappi
One pound of Italian sausage links
Eight ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese
Four tablespoons of freshly grated parmesan cheese
One half cup each red, green and yellow bell peppers chopped
One small onion chopped, and three garlic cloves minced
Three ounces of olive oil
One-quarter chopped fresh basil, and one ounce hot pepper flakes (optional)
One tablespoon freshly ground black peppercorns, and salt to taste
Two 28-ounce cans of whole tomatoes – preferably San Marzano
One small can of tomato paste
One pint of water

Preparation:
Boil cavatappi in a large pot until al dente, drain and allow to cool
Fry or microwave sausage links, and chop roughly
Saute’ onions, peppers and garlic in olive oil in a large pot
Open cans of whole tomatoes, and crush them by hand into the pot
Stir tomato paste into pot and add the water
Add sausage to the mixture along with salt, pepper, hot pepper and basil
Cook the sauce for one to two hours until it thickens.
Cover bottom of a casserole dish with cavatappi
Mix in sauce and cover with a portion of mozzarella and sprinkle parmesan
Add layers of sauce and cheese until casserole is full
Top casserole with mozzarella, cover with foil and bake @ 350 degrees for one hour
Allow to rest for 20 minutes, cut in squares and serve

My wine selection for the recipe is Chianti which is made in Tuscany. The Italian government requires that Chianti must contain no less than 70 percent sangiovese grapes. Chianti Classico must be comprised of 80 percent sangiovese and be aged for 12 months, while Chianti Classico Riserva must be aged in barrels for at least 24 months before it can be bottled. Here are the two wines I recommend for Columbus Wrong Way Pasta.

2021 Frescobaldi Nipozzano Chianti Rufina Riserva ($22) With intense notes of black cherry and blueberries, this wine is medium-bodied with chewy tannins and perfectly balanced acidity. It is a subtle, but delicious accompaniment to this robust pasta dish.

2021 Villa Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva ($30) Aromas of tobacco and toasty oak lead to flavors of ripe red currants with a finishing note of red cherries. A fuller flavored Chianti than the Frescobaldi, this wine stands up to and enhances this bold and spicy cavatappi recipe.

John Brown is also a novelist. His two books – Augie’s War and Augie’s World – are available online and in bookstores around the state. The third book in the Augie Trilogy- Augie’s Wine – will be released later this year. You can find out more about his novels, and review all of his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com

For decades now, I’ve experienced both agony and ecstasy in the pursuit of the perfect wine. Allow me to amend that last sentence because I’m pretty sure that nothing is perfect. But I am always searching for wines that surpass those that are considered to be good -or even excellent. Wines that go above and beyond expectations and become something more than a really pleasant quaff. These are bottles that are refined and the wine in them is exquisite.

They are wines that can also elevate a meal from simply excellent to sublime. And the wonder of these beauties is that they can run the gamut of styles from deep, full-bodied reds, to silky, subtle whites, and even to delicate and complex sparkling wines. Many of these stellar wines are expensive bottles that are more than a decade old. Happily, I can report from personal experience that reasonably priced bottles can benefit from extended aging as well.

First, though, and this may come as a surprise, the vast majority of wines in the marketplace are meant to be consumed now, or within a couple of years. In fact, around 95 percent of all wine is ready to be consumed right off the shelf. So how can you judge when a wine you buy will be a candidate for aging, and then ultimately turn into something special over time?

If you would like to lay a few bottles down for future enjoyment, there are some important issues to consider. First, you’ll need to collect wines that have the best chance of morphing into something special over time. That means buying red wines such as Bordeaux, California cabernet sauvignon or other sturdy reds like Chateauneuf Du Pape, Barolo and Brunello Di Montalcino. Zinfandel, syrah and even pinot noir – particularly ones from Oregon or Burgundy – are also candidates for extended aging. Even white wines such as chardonnay from Burgundy, late harvest sweet wines like Sauternes from France and riesling from Germany can also improve with age.

The next critical element in selecting wines to collect for aging is the particular vintage year from which the grapes were harvested. By doing a little research using search engines like Google, you can determine from critics and wine rating publications which vintages are touted as having the best chance of success for long-term aging. And, because of weather conditions and other viticultural factors, the quality of vintages may vary from one world wine region to another in the same year.

Once you’ve decided on a likely age worthy vintage, read up on the specific wines and what critics are reporting about them. Oftentimes, you’ll see a lot of attention directed to the “superstar” and often very expensive wines for sale from famous places like Bordeaux or the Napa Valley. Unless money is no object, you should look for alternate, less expensive wines from those same highly touted areas. And believe me, there are excellent value wines that turn into very special bottles over time.

Now that you’ve selected a particular wine from an age worthy vintage, be sure you buy at least three bottles of the wine. This will allow you to open a bottle every five or so years to make sure the wine is making “forward” progress. I’ve had the unfortunate experience of finding out that I waited too long to assess the bottle, and the wine had passed its prime.

Another critical factor in the process is to make sure you store the wine properly. You don’t have to buy one of those expensive wine storage closets, but you should age the wine in a dark, vibration and odor-free area. And make sure the temperature doesn’t vary more than 10 degrees from summer to winter, and where the humidity is pretty high – around 70 percent. Purchase one of those temperature and humidity gauges and check out your designated area ahead of time to make sure it’s appropriate. If you absolutely want to be sure the storage system is ideal, you can buy temperature-controlled wine cabinets for as little as $300 or considerably more. You might check out these storage units at online sellers such as the Wine Enthusiast or Vinotemp.

Follow the suggestions mentioned above and you may be able, in a decade or so, to replicate the experience I had last Christmas. That magical night, I opened a bottle of 2004 Ridge Lytton Springs (79% zinfandel) from Sonoma County that paired seamlessly with our Christmas bone-in prime rib roast dinner. The price sticker on the bottle read: $21. It was Magnificent!

John Brown is also a novelist. His two books – Augie’s War and Augie’s World – are available online and in bookstores around the state. The third book in the Augie Trilogy- Augie’s Wine – will be released later this year. You can find out more about his novels, and review all of his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com

I’ve written many times before of my affection for all things rose’, and there is no better time to open a bottle of that sometimes pink, salmon colored or even orange hued wine than in the heat of the summer. And while it may seem counterintuitive to suggest pairing rose’ with a hearty, meat-centric dish,  I’m going to suggest you do just that.

Years ago, in a galaxy far, far away (actually a decade or so ago), I regaled the wine-obsessed creatures that read my vinous scratchings with a recipe for pork shoulder, also known as pork butt. With that barbecue-enhanced chunk of swine meat, I recommended you pair the dish with hearty  red wines such as petite sirah, malbec or Chianti classico. And I still favor using those types of reds to marry with the flavors of roasted meat such as pork butt.

But not in the summertime! When temperatures soar, the thought of sipping heavy, robust reds is about as appealing as wearing an overcoat to go running in the desert.  And while some of you may think of rose’ as a one-dimensional, inexpensive sweet wine, many are produced classically dry, and are made to accompany food. You may also be surprised to know that rose’ is made in just about every fine wine region on earth using just about every red grape variety imaginable. The wines I’m suggesting you pair with the “Pink Butt” recipe below are definitely food wines.

The Pink Butt

– Purchase a five-to-eight-pound pork butt (shoulder) roast ,and make several half-inch deep cuts all over the meat with a sharp knife.

– Blend a tablespoon each of kosher salt, coarsely ground black pepper and minced garlic, along with a teaspoon of cayenne pepper and a half teaspoon of ground fennel seeds.

– Add two tablespoons each of olive oil, whole grain mustard and balsamic vinegar to the dry ingredients, mix together and rub all over the pork butt. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least eight hours or overnight.

– Remove the plastic wrap and roast the meat for eight hours indirectly on a charcoal grill by moving the coals to either side. Then place the roast in the center of the grill over an aluminum pan filled with hot water.

– Adjust the air flow dampers on the top and bottom of the grill to control the heat and  check the temperature gauge regularly to roast the pork between 225 – 250 degrees F.

–  Alternatively, you may cook the butt entirely in the oven by placing it in a roasting pan and onto rounds of sliced onions. Add the liquid from a can of beer to the pan and roast at 225 degrees F for eight hours.

– Remove the pork from the grill or oven, and allow it to rest for an hour, saving some of the (fat skimmed) pan drippings. Then slice the roast and add some of the pan liquids to each piece of meat.

Pink Butt Rose’ Pairings

2022 Chateau Ste Michelle Columbia Valley Rose ($15) – From Washington State, this rose’ is round, but crisp, with a refreshing dose of acidity that marries well and enhances with the  smoky richness of the roasted pork. It’s also nicely thirst quenching.

2022 Chateau Miraval Cotes du Provence Rose’  ($23) This wine from the southern Rhone region of France has a blend of ripe, red fruit flavor. It is  medium-bodied with a touch of oak and a spicy finish which is seamlessly compatible with the grilled pork butt.

2022 Robert Sinskey Vin Gris of Pinot Noir  ($40)– From the southern Napa Valley in the Carneros region, this 100 percent pinot noir rose’ is intensely scented with aromas of ripe apples floral tones and full of rich, yet balanced, citrus flavors, this rose will pair wonderfully with the smoky, spicey heft of the pork butt.

2022 Chateau De Segries Tavel Rose’ ($30) Tavel is traditionally known for its crisp, dry finish, and for being very food friendly. The wine, from the southern Rhone Valley, is a full-bodied rose’ that stands up to, and pairs exceedingly well, with the full-flavored Pink Butt recipe.

John Brown is also a novelist. His two books – Augie’s War and Augie’s World – are available online and in bookstores around the state. The third book in the Augie Trilogy- Augie’s Wine – will be released later this year. You can find out more about his novels, and review all of his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com

 

While we suffer through extreme heat and humidity in the waning days of summer, I generally prefer to sip light, white wine with my meals. Chilled sauvignon blanc, riesling, unoaked chardonnay and pinot grigio top the list of wines I choose to accompany with many of my summertime dishes. But I adamantly refuse to eliminate red wines from my list of summer sippers just because Mother Nature is in a bad mood.

However, I do select less intense reds because they are better companions to more casual, picnic or warm weather meals. And, importantly, I always chill my summer reds in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before opening them. Today, I’ll provide you with the recipes for two easy-to-make summertime meals and suggest the perfect red wines with which to pair them.

Calabrian Fried Peppers and Valpolicella

This dish brings back fond memories of my Calabrian grandmother. I can see her lovingly frying peppers just picked from her garden. I don’t have a garden, but I get my peppers from local farmers who sell them at the Capitol Market in Charleston. In addition to yellow, red and green bell peppers, I add Hungarian (hot) wax peppers which approximate the heat of a jalapeno. The beauty of this recipe is that you can adjust it to accommodate your tolerance for spiciness by limiting or omitting the hot peppers.

Preparation
Slice any combination of peppers into equal length strips. My usual mix is two each red and yellow bell peppers, one green bell and two Hungarian hots. To the mix, add one whole onion sliced into one-third inch rings, three large cloves of chopped garlic and two tablespoons each of chopped fresh basil. In a cast iron skillet or frying pan, heat three ounces of olive oil, and then sauté’ the pepper mixture on medium heat, turning the ingredients frequently to prevent scorching.

During cooking, salt the mixture to taste and liberally sprinkle freshly ground black peppercorns. The dish is ready to eat when the veggies are supple and limber. Plate the peppers and top them with more chopped basil. These fried peppers can serve as a main course or as a spicy accompaniment to any meat or fish entrée. And the peppers make a sensational sandwich when heaped on slices of baguette or ciabatta loaves, like the tasty ones baked at Charleston Bread.

Valpolicella, located in Italy’s Veneto region, is a lovely accompaniment to the dish. Produced from a combination of relatively obscure grapes (corvina, rondinalla and molinara), this red is a wine full of ripe cherry flavors and provides a delicious, refreshing and thirst-quenching paring for this spicy Calabrian pepper dish. Try these wines: 2022 Allegrini Valpolicella Classico ($20) and 2020 Zenato Valpolicella Classico Superiore ($18).

Barbecue Chicken Thighs and Rioja

Barbecue means different things to different people. For some, it’s a verb as in: “I’m going to barbecue some hamburgers.” For others, barbecue is a noun and usually refers to a type of cooked pork or beef that is chopped, immersed in various sauces and served on a bun. To me, barbecue means a style of roasting various cuts of meat, seafood or vegetables on the grill. One of my favorites is dry-rubbed, barbecued chicken thighs.

Preparation
Purchase a package of boneless, skinless chicken thighs and rub them with a simple mixture of two parts brown sugar, to one part each of kosher salt and smoked paprika. Combine the ingredients and rub them all over the thighs about 15 minutes before placing them on your gas or charcoal grill.

Pair these sweet and savory thighs with Rioja – a red wine from northern Spain. Rioja (pronounced Ree-Owe-Hah) is made from tempranillo, a grape that features spicy, bright, red fruit flavors which marry seamlessly with the chicken thighs. I suggest you pair the dish with 2019 Marques De Riscal Rioja Reserva($24) or 2020 Marques De Caceres Rioja Crianza ($17).

John Brown is also a novelist. His two books – Augie’s War and Augie’s World – are available online and in bookstores around the state. The third book in the Augie Trilogy- Augie’s Wine – will be released later this year. You can find out more about his novels, and review all of his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com